When speaking to locals about the outreach worship service meeting in our Gulf Coast community’s world-renowned bar, the Flora-Bama, it becomes evident that things are not the way they used to be. Shocked laughter, anger, and outbursts of disbelief are some common responses we receive when someone reads our T-shirt, “My Church is @ the Flora-Bama,” or hears the invitation to join us for worship.
Deep within people’s memory banks of lived experience, they really want to believe that God is present—even in the bar of their past or present—but they never imagined a worship service would be there. The perplexity on their faces speaks volumes about what God continues to do when we move beyond the structures of main campus programs and show up where we know God has always been.
Read Full Article »